Brockman’s big night at the NBA draft?

The NBA draft starts at 4 p.m. today, and it looks like Huskies all-time rebounding leader Jon Brockman could go late in the second round. In fact, NBAdraft.net is projecting the Snohomish native as the 50th overall pick going to the Utah Jazz.

Brockman was not considered a sure thing to be drafted after his stellar career at Washington. He is undersized (6-foot-7) for a power forward and is not as skilled offensively as a lot of teams might like. But he dominated at the Portsmouth Invitational in April, including a 24-point, 21-rebound (13 offensive) performance in his first game of the predraft showcase. In three games, Brockman averaged 15.3 points and 16.3 points. His rebound average was tops in the tournament and he was eighth in scoring among the 60 college players hoping to raise their draft profiles.

Brockman would probably be a rebounding and defensive specialist if he makes an NBA roster. Not bad for a guy who was written off by a lot of scouts after his senior season.

Also expected to be drafted today are Gonzaga’s Austin Daye and Josh Heytvelt.

Daye never became the superstar he was expected to be for the Zags, but he decided to leave Spokane after his second year. He has not performed well in athletic-ability tests, but his 6-foot-11 frame and offensive skill has a lot of teams interested. He probably belongs in the second round, but could go earlier to a team willing to take a chance.

Heytvelt also is a likely second-rounder. He’s a skilled big man with a decent jump shot who has gotten his promising career back on track after legal troubles in college. He’s not overpowering in the post and won’t take anyone off the dribble, but he’s a big, athletic body and can do a lot of things well.

One possible sleeper to go late in the draft is former Gonzaga and Juanita star Micah Downs. He never got it going in college, but he’s a 6-8 wing with quickness and a good jumper.